The number of organic farmers in Bulgaria has grown for three years running, deputy agriculture minister Krasimir Chakarov says. He says the number of farmers is going up steadily in both livestock and crop farming.
There are now 765 registered organic farmers, and they keep around 88,000 animals. Chakarov says these figures show how much interest in organic farming is growing.
Figures show 400 more farmers applied in the 26th campaign than last year. The number of applications for support in organic crop farming has grown every year since 2023. Land under organic farming in the current 26th campaign stands at just over 266,000 hectares — a pretty good trend, Chakarov says.
Despite all this growth, the rules for organic farmers stay just as strict, the deputy minister added. He listed the main rules for production:
- no chemical treatments;
- no pesticides;
- no antibiotics;
- and none of anything else that must be absent for a product to carry the "organic" label.
Alongside these figures, a national organic fest for certified organic producers is running in Yambol from today until Sunday.